Here we are again, it’s your Start/Sit for Week 4! And for those of you who listened to me and started your Ravens last week, congratulations on the win. (Especially Mark Ingram who absolute wrecked dy fantasy team). There’s been a few moving parts coming into Week 4, including Melvin Gordon ending his holdout and rejoining the team. He won’t be playing this week, so prepare to sell as high as you possibly can on Austin Ekeler if you can get a quality starter in return for him. (Also, in case you didn’t get the memo, you’re starting most players against whoever Miami plays. If you flame me on Twitter for not listing any Chargers, I will shame you). I say that because they get the Miami Tanks this week, so he will probably look even more valuable.
Kyle Allen proved to be a fantasy jackpot for those of you brave enough to start him last week. But, please don’t fall into the trap of starting him against the Texans when his own percentage will be inflated. Also, I know some people are still resisting this, Larry Fitzgerald is a must start in your WR2 spot. He’s guaranteed double digit points and is Kyler Murray’s safe target. If you’re looking for a particular game that will have a lot of points scored with low own percentage players, key in on the Giants/Redskins game. The records aren’t sexy, and the defenses are terrible, but that means there will be touchdowns everywhere. With that being said, let’s jump into it (I know, I’m just killing it with the segway here)!
Start Them
Quarterbacks: Daniel Jones, Russell Wilson, Matthew Stafford
I will now seamlessly transition into talking about Daniel Jones. He brings an element to the Giants offense that it hasn’t had (I don’t think ever really), a quarterback with mobility. Sure, he was playing against Tampa Bay last week, but he’s getting an even worse opponent Week 4 against Washington. I don’t think Jones rushing for touchdowns on a regular basis is a consistent threat just yet. That it is something that the defense has to plan for though. He’s shown that he has the arm strength and accuracy already to air it out. With Saquon Barkley being out for an extended amount of time, New York is going to pass the ball almost exclusively. (Wayne Gallman is a Clemson guy, and I’m a fan, but let’s not kid ourselves). Expect an air attack against the Redskins and in the future.
Seattle is coming off of a stinging loss against New Orleans. They’ll be looking to take out their frustrations against Arizona. As much as is pains me to report it, Chris Carson has a fumble problem right now. So while that will hurt my personal team, it will be a boost for Wilson owners. They’ll look to put the ball in Wilson’s hands more often, and run when they need too. (Like, oh I don’t know, in a goal to go situation at the two yard line. TAKE NOTES MATT LAFLEUR!).
Matthew Stafford and the Lions have a choice for Week 4: attempt to win a shootout against the highest scoring team in the league OR grind the game to a halt by running the football. Due to an absolute absence of any semblance of a running game, my guess is that Stafford is going to throw the ball until his arm falls off. He’s got Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones going for him, which is nice. He’ll rack up 300+ yards and maybe even 2-3 touchdowns. This will look great for fantasy points. But, they’ll ultimately fail in trying to win a scoring contest against Kansas City for four quarters. If you have him, start him.
Running Backs: Leonard Fournette, Marlon Mack, Chris Thompson
Leonard Fournette is going against Denver this week. I’m actually thinking that Jacksonville will be ahead for the majority of the game. The Broncos complete loss (literally zero sacks) of a pass rush is only going to work against them. If they start selling out to get a sack, screens will become a huge problem. Being a bigger back, Fournette is built to carry the load this week. I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes for 85+ yards and a touchdown for his Week 4 tally.
Marlon Mack is going against an absolutely terrible Oakland Raiders run defense that just got gashed by the Vikings last week. I’m expecting much more of the same for this week. Playing at home in a game that they can’t afford to lose in a crowded AFC South race, the Colts are going to look to control the clock. T.Y. Hilton isn’t looking like he will be 100% quite yet. He may get a chance to rest if Indianapolis can get out to a comfortable lead though. 100 yards and a couple scores isn’t out of the question for Mack.
Chris Thompson is in a perfect situation for daily fantasy owners. He’s on a team that’s perpetually behind, and is mismatched against a linebacker coming out of the backfield on routes. As I mentioned, their Week 4 opponent is the Giants, and the scoreboard is going to be lighting up. Especially in PPR formats, Thompson is an excellent option even if Adrian Peterson gets the between the tackles carries. (Which there really shouldn’t be very much, minus the rare goal line dives that for some reason are dying out. TAKE MORE NOTES MATT LAFLEUR).
Wide Receivers/Tight End: Cooper Kupp, Kenny Golladay, Demarcus Robinson, Evan Engram (TE)
Cooper Kupp is Sean McVay’s favorite weapon to use on the Rams offense. While Jared Goff often times stands there and stare blankly at the defense until told what to do, Kupp is out there making sure everyone is lined up correctly. (He prevented an illegal formation penalty last week. He did so by frantically waving for another receiver to get on the line of scrimmage) Kupp is also busy running crisp routes. He’s also got the most trusted hands so far, as he’s seen his target share continually grow. It also can’t get much better going against a horrible Buccaneers secondary.
Kenny Golladay is going to have a great day against the Chiefs secondary. This is because they always struggled against taller receivers (especially in the red zone). While Marvin Jones will be working underneath and the occasional deep shot, Golladay is going to be the primary target for Stafford. The game is going to be a shootout, so there won’t be a shortage of pass attempts going his way. 125+ yards and a score is a real possibility.
On the other sideline for that game in Detroit, it seems that Demarcus Robinson has become the favorite big play target for Patrick Mahomes. After all, he’s the one who caught the now legendary no-look pass from Mahomes last season. He’s continued to flourish this season. He scored multiple times against Oakland in Week 2. Robinson also made a spectacular one handed touchdown catch last week against Baltimore. Playing in a dome for the first time, I’m looking for Andy Reid to dial up multiple deep balls. Expect to see Robinson being on the receiving end of multiple.
Evan Engram is finally being utilized, and look what happened. The Giants offense gains a much needed dimension when they throw him the ball on big chunk plays. (He’s eclipsed 100+ yards receiving twice this season already). He’s also a mismatch against almost any defender with his size and athleticism. This will be the last time I bring it up, but it needs to be understood. This game against Washington is going to be high scoring. If you’re looking for a good value play, this is the guy.
Sit Them
Quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Baker Mayfield, Derek Carr
I know, it seems blasphemous to see the name Tom Brady and any negative connotation written next to it. But, there’s fantasy football to consider. He’s going against a top five defense on the road in Buffalo, a division opponent. He’s not going to be able to throw the ball at will. This will be a closer game than many people think. While he may be efficient, I don’t think that will translate to many fantasy points. Look for another quarterback with a better matchup.
Baker Mayfield and the Browns are just continuing to struggle on offense. If you’re running a draw play on 4th and 9, that’s a pretty telling sign of the trust between Freddie Kitchens and Mayfield. The Browns simply aren’t being aggressive enough on offense, and their lack of discipline is costing them dearly in penalties. They have the Ravens this week, so look for those struggles to continue.
It’s not just that I hate Derek Carr and the entire Raiders organization, I swear. It’s that they have a tough task ahead of them going on the road to Indianapolis. Gruden wants to run the football and allow Carr to throw when he’s comfortable. Expect to see the Raiders shoot for around 25 attempts per game. If he has go beyond that, Carr struggles. Considering they will be behind most of this game, I don’t see it boding well for Oakland to get much of anything going. That makes me smile, but you should in all reality avoid starting him for those legitimate reason. Or just because you don’t like him. Either way, don’t play him Week 4.
Running Backs: Chris Carson, Kerryon Johnson, James Conner
Chris Carson is a talented running back. You know who else was a talented running back? Tiki Barber. You know what they both are also good at? Fumbling the damn football. It’s not that I don’t think Carson will get touches this week. I just think that in crucial scoring situations, the Seahawks may look to other options for the time being. Carson needs to prove he can hang on to the ball again. I hope he starts earning that trust back this week. Until then, I’m looking for another option on daily fantasy.
Now, Kerryon Johnson has a good matchup against Kansas City. The issue is that he isn’t really a pass catching back. Detroit isn’t going to be in much of a position to run the football if they want to keep up on the scoreboard. Sure, you can argue that’s what the Ravens did last week. But, the Lions offensive line isn’t nearly as talented nor is Matt Patricia committed as much to the ground game. He may vulture a touchdown, but that doesn’t validate starting him.
James Conner is playing in the worst game of the week. Unfortunately, it will also be nationally televised against the Bengals on Monday Night. Both teams are 0-3 and the Steelers are a mess on offense. This game has very little to offer really at any position. But don’t get fooled by name recognition here when it comes to the price tag. If Conner is anything but a super low cost value pick, look elsewhere.
Wide Receivers/Tight End: Josh Gordon, Stefon Diggs, Jarvis Landry, OJ Howard (TE)
Josh Gordon is going to be another fantasy casualty this week, again, because of his matchup. Gordon is more of a deep threat. The Bills have done a good job of taking that away so far this season though. Edelman will be working underneath and getting most of the short passes, so I’m leaning towards him if you’re in a PPR league. Any success Gordon may have would be on a fluky long pass. Personally I don’t like just hoping for that sort of thing.
Stefon Diggs has a really tough defense in Chicago this week. It’s looking like it will be a low scoring affair anyway. Dalvin Cook will be getting plenty of work, along with Adam Thielen. I’m not convinced there will be very many red zone opportunities. While this will be an enjoyable old school game to watch, fantasy owners should look for their points in other games.
Jarvis Landry came into this year as a sexy WR2/Flex play. He’s quickly turned into a desperation/contrarian play at best. Initially, the thought was that Odell Beckham would draw coverage leaving Landry open, but that hasn’t materialized. Most of that is the offensive execution being terrible, the other part is Baker Mayfield underachieving. Regardless of who’s fault it is, the end result is you should stay away from the Browns offense for the time being.
OJ Howard is incredibly frustrating for fantasy owners. If he’s targeted, he usually will have a long catch and hopefully a touchdown. However, he’s equally as likely to not be targeted a single time and give you a fat zero. Tampa Bay needs to start using him consistently for me to trust my fantasy lineup with him. There are plenty more cheaper touchdown dependent tight ends.
That’s everything for Week 4! I just want to thank everyone again for keeping up with me every week, I really do appreciate it. If you have any last minute lineup questions, or any positions you want anymore help with, please as always hit me up on Twitter (@Rellihan51). I’m more than happy to help out everyone. Check out my game picks as well! You’ll get plenty of information on who to play there too. Good luck everybody!
Until next week,
Nick Rellihan
